"This game is nothing without Snake..."

Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions is a somewhat expansion set to the Metal Gear Solid game for the PSone. This game however, is completely different from the other. Instead of following a storyline, this game has no storyline whatsoever. You choose a mission you would like to complete, and you just keep on working through the various missions trying to attain the coveted 100% mark. As you progress, you will unlock special features that will even let you play as the Ninja!

The gameplay in this game is fairly well made, allowing you to easily change weapons and the weapon variety is good. One of the most entertaining things that you can do in this game is to place a C4 on someone’s back. After, just press the trigger button and it sends them flying. Each mission that you do usually gives you about 0.3% more of completion, towards the 100% mark. The normal missions are also accompanied by having to complete the same mission with a time limit. Some missions you will find impossible at first, but will easily be passable once you learn the guard’s moves. Unfortunately, there is no way to shoot in the first-person-view, making it difficult to aim accurately. On the other hand, the auto-lock an aim gives you some much needed help in aiming, because the overhead view doesn’t allow you to see your surroundings that well.

Controls in this game are wonderfully easy to use. As previously mentioned, you can switch weapons with a simple press of a button and then scrolling down an in game menu. It’s fairly hard to make your character run diagonally unless you use the analog stick, so watch out for that. Setting down claymores are easily done because you can still move your body when trying to place them. If you take in to consideration all the things you can do in this game, it’s a wonder the learning curve is so short.

The visuals are nothing short of stunning, for its time. Of course to date there are games with huge graphical improvements, especially the sequel of the game for the PS2, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The same problems as in other games occur, like when a enemy is standing near a wall their body will seem to go through it. Very brief cinematics are scattered through the game, introducing a mission. Guns carried by the cunning enemy soldiers look like their real-life counterparts.

When you hear a guard say “Huh? What was that noise?” in a dumbfounded voice a hundred times, it seems to get repetitive, and that’s because it is. That’s about the only quote a guard will say after you tapping on a wall, or when he hears Snake’s footsteps. This lack in quotes will annoy you, making the game seem even more repetitious then it already is. The game over sound effect is actually pretty cool, and you won’t mind dying if it means hearing that sound. Gunshots are somewhat realistic, from the FAMAS to the SOCOM.

For some strange reason, you’ll find yourself coming back to play this game, even though you know in your mind it is useless repetitiveness. It’s a Metal Gear game though right, it has to be good? Wrong. If this game were on its own without the franchise, it would have been a boring game. No one would have found this fun if you weren’t able to play as Snake or unlock the Ninja. After beating MGS2, I felt obligated to play this game and the first in the series. Only die-hard MGS fans should actually enjoy this tedious task of trying to get 100%.

Above all, this game only survived because of Solid Snake and the Ninja. This game isn’t that exciting or fun. Don’t go out spending top bucks for this game. If you can find it for a cheap price, then get it for the sake of having it. Any die-hard fan of the series should have this, but otherwise your precious gaming time should be spent somewhere else other then on this game.